A True Friend
by Destiny's Vision
Summary: A nice, heartwarming story about a girl in desperate need for a friend. Rukato (Takato x Ruki) Please r/r.


A True Friend 

Written by Destiny's Vision

Rika sat in her room, starring at a few cards on her table. At first sight, one would think that she was trying to figure some tactics for the cards. But indeed, she was doing something completely different. She was trying to keep her mind away from something; something that in a way, haunted her. But, no matter what her mind or heart told her, she refused to believe it. 

Then, Renamon appeared behind Rika, sensing something was wrong. " Rika?" Renamon asked. Rika looked up, surprised. 

" Yes, Renamon?" she asked. " You seem distracted, and a bit distraught." Renamon stated. " You obviously can't think of any tactics for your cards. Please, tell me what is troubling you. " It's nothing, Renamon." Rika assured. " I'm just…. thinking." " That's not true." Renamon argued. " I can see that you have a problem. Please, tell me what it is." " Really, Renamon." Rika said. " There is nothing wrong. Now would you please leave?" Renamon starred at Rika, and smiled. " You're thinking of that Takato boy, aren't you?" she asked. Rika then stood up, with a very annoyed, yet nervous face.

" Takato?" she asked. " You mean that poor excuse for a Tamer? Why in the world would I be thinking of him?" " You're confused about him." Renamon answered. " You see how friendly he treats you, and how he quite possibly wants to be your friend. And, you're wondering if you should befriend him." " Me?" Rika asked in a disgusted voice. " Be friends with him?! Let me tell you something, Renamon; I don't want friends, let alone Takato as a friend!" Renamon sighed, shaking her head. " Rika, I personally don't understand you." Renamon said. " You know, I believe your grandmother once told you something. I believe it was that no matter how much you try, you couldn't get through this world without the help of others. And yet, you continue to deny that. I mean, I understand that you have not had the best luck with friends in the past, but-"

" Not the best luck?" Rika interrupted, in an angry tone. 

" Listen, Renamon! Before now, I had no friends. Everyone hated me, and I still don't know why! I wanted a friend so badly then. Then, I started playing the Digimon card game, let alone being the best at it. Everyone liked me then. But, I later found out that they weren't true friends. They were friends with the Digimon Queen, not Rika Nonaka. It was then that I realized I didn't need friends, and I still believe that today." 

Renamon starred at Rika, with an annoyed expression. "Rika," Renamon said. " I do not wish to be offensive, but you are being quite naive." " Naïve?" Rika asked angrily. " How am I being naive?" " You are denying the obvious." Renamon answered. " You and I both can see that Takato is a good person. Why, I have even seen him with his other friends. He treats them with the same kindness and respect you give me. He would be a wonderful friend, at least better than most of the other friends you knew. But, you will not allow yourself to believe that. And, I believe I know why." " Well, tell me then." Rika said arrogantly. 

" What does keep me from being his friend?" " You're afraid." Renamon stated.

Rika's eyes widened, surprised. " A…afraid?" she asked nervously. " Yes." Renamon said. " You are afraid that Takato will be like the others who tried to befriend you, even though we both know he would be better. You are so afraid, you won't let yourself believe he could be anything otherwise. And, if you ask me, this fear is meaningless, and quite foolish."

Rika starred at Renamon in amazement. She could not believe what Renamon had just said. And, what was most amazing, was the fact that she was right. Rika then turned away, partially in shame. " Rika," Renamon said softly. " I'm sorry, but what I say is true. If you want Takato as a friend, you have to accept the fact that he may actually be a real friend. But, then again, I guess I can't really say that." Rika looked at Renamon, confused. " What do you mean?" she asked. " Rika," Renamon said. " I know you, and I can see how you really feel about him. And, it isn't really friendship you want from him, is it?" Rika instantly knew what Renamon meant. 

She then began to walk toward her room's door. " Rika." Renamon said, causing her to stop. She then turned around, and gave Renamon a sad smile. " Yes, Renamon." Rika said, answering her question. " I do wish to love Takato." " Then why don't you tell him?" Renamon asked. " I don't tell him," Rika answered. " Because it is possible he will not be a true lover, like everyone else was as friends. And, it's one thing to know you have no friends. But, I don't believe I can handle knowing that I don't have love either." She then walked out of the room, leaving a silent Renamon.

It was late, about 11:30 P.M. Rika would usually be in bed by now, even though it was Saturday. But, there weren't any adults around to enforce such bedtime laws. Rika's mother and grandmother had left for China, for yet another fashion show, the day before. The mother had offered to take Rika with her, but she had politely refused, saying she would rather stay home. So, the mother decided that she would take the grandmother instead. They were to return home some time during the following week. So, Rika had no problem leaving the home a moment later.

Rika walked down the quiet sidewalk, thinking to herself. " I do love him." She thought. " Maybe…maybe Renamon is right. Maybe I should give Takato a chance. Who knows; maybe he would love me back. But, what if I'm right? What if he doesn't love me, or treats me like the others did? My God, I don't believe my heart could take that." And so, she continued to walk.

Then, she entered the nearby park. She then walked far into the park, to the point that she knew no one could see or hear her. Then, she stopped, and sat on a bench. She starred at the ground sadly. Then, something began to happen that had not happened in many years. Tears began to flow down Rika's face. " Oh Takato." Rika softly cried. " Why can't I just love you, and know you love me too?" She then laid her face in her hands, and cried.

" Oh, God!" Rika cried. " Why me? Why must I endure such cruelty in my life? Must it be this way? Am I supposed to live a life where I am miserable and loveless? Why, I would rather die than live such a life. Yet, that is what I seem to be destined to; a life of pure misery!" Rika then continued to cry. She cried so hard, she did not hear the footsteps coming up to her. " Rika?" She looked up in surprise. She now found herself facing the man she admired so much. It was Takato.

" Rika, what's wrong?" Takato asked, sounding very concerned. " Oh no!" Rika thought. " I can't let hi know why I was crying." " Go away!" she said coldly. " It's none of your concern!" " It is now." Takato said. And, before Rika could object, he sat down beside her. " Rika, I've never seen you so sad. In fact, I've never even seen you cry. What made you this way?" Rika looked at Takato with angry eyes. " What made me this way?" she asked angrily. " I'll tell you what made me this way. MY LIFE!" " What do you mean?" Takato asked. " You don't know." She mumbled. 

" No one ever knows." Takato stayed silent, listening.

"What made me so sad," Rika began. " Is the fact that I have never had a true friend. Before now, everyone I knew hated me. Why they hated me, I don't know. Maybe it was the way I acted, or because I was part of a wealthy family, I don't know. But, all I do know is they hated me. I needed a friend so badly then. Then, I started to play that stupid card game. When they saw how good I was at it, then they were nice to me. They said they were my friends. Well, I later found out that they were all liars. They liked me when I played the card game. But, when I didn't, they treated me like trash. They were never my friends. They were the Digimon Queen's friends. And you, Takato, are no different!"

Takato starred at Rika in amazement. " I get it." He said. 

" You're afraid to let me be your friend, aren't you?" Rika's eyes widened a bit, surprised at what Takato had said. " Your afraid that if you befriend me," he continued. " I'll only like you for your card skills, or in this case, like you for your Tamer skills. And, in the end, I'll just cause you more pain." Rika was silent in awe; amazed that Takato Knew why she was sad. 

" Rika," Takato said softly. " You don't need to have that fear. I'm not like the other kids. I do want to be your friend; your true friend." Indeed, a part of Rika wanted to believe Takato. But, her fear was stronger, as it now sent her into a miserable, cold rage. 

" No you don't!" she denied coldly. " No one ever does. I know what you want. You want to learn my skills as a Tamer, and then use them against me. Then, while you're at it, you'll want my card skills, so you can mock me with them as well." " No!" Takato exclaimed. " That's not true! Rika, I do want to be your friend. I really do! You must believe me!" " You know," Rika said. " Many people have said that. And all of them were liars!"

" Is that true?" Takato asked. " Well, I'm sure they said a lot of things. But, I'm sure there are things that they didn't say. For example, did they ever tell you that you are quite brave?" Rika raised an eyebrow, curious at what Takato was getting at. " You have to be brave to go into a battle the way you do." He continued. " And, did anyone ever tell you that you're smart? Why, every time you and Renamon battle, you treat it as if it was a game of chess, always checkmating the enemy. And, did they ever tell you that when you are in the moonlight, you are the most beautiful creature on the face of the earth?" Rika blushed at that, now becoming very curious at what Takato was saying. " And," he said. " I'm sure that they did other things to you; things that caused you great pain. But, did they ever do this?" Then, Takato swiftly put his arms around Rika, pulling her into a gentle kiss.

Rika felt herself stiffen in surprise. Indeed, no one had done this. Not even her own mother had kissed her, if only on the cheek, in a long time. Now, Rika was sure that Takato was telling the truth. But, experiencing this told her that perhaps Takato wanted more than friendship. Maybe… maybe he loved her.

When he let go of the kiss, Takato starred into Rika's wide eyes. " Rika," he said. " I know you have been hurt in your life. But, I can promise you, I'll never hurt you. Never! You see Rika, I don't really want to be your friend. I want to be more; much more. Rika….Rika I love you!" " He loves me?" Rika thought. " Oh my God! He loves me!" " But," Takato said. " I don't know if you feel the same way. I know you think I'm weak compared to you, and your right. So, if you'd prefer that we just be friends, that's alright with me. You see, right now, I only want to do one thing in my life, and that is to somehow make you happy again."

Rika was completely stunned at what Takato was saying. He loved her so much, he was even willing just to be friends, just to make her happy. This was too much for her. More tears began to fall down her face. " Rika?" Takato asked. " What is it? Did I say something wrong?" " No." Rika said, smiling. " Everything you said was right. Oh Takato, you do love me. And I… I love you too. I'm so sorry I never told you all this time. I was just so afraid that… that love would just give me more pain." " Well, I can tell you now, Rika," Takato said, wrapping his arms around her. " I will never give you any kind of pain. All I will do is love you, until the day I die, and even after that." " Oh Takato!" Rika cried. 

Then, Takato gently laid Rika's head on his shoulder. She then began to softly cry. But, this time, Rika did not shed tears of sorrow and misery, but of joy and happiness, for she had found the one thing she had desired all her life; not only love, but a true friend. " There, there Rika." Takato whispered. " I'm here. I'm here for you." " Oh, thank you!" she cried. " Oh Takato, thank you." She then looked up at him, and said, " If it makes you feel any better, because of you, I am happier than I've ever been in my life. I dearly thank you." 

Then, the two starred into each other's eyes. Slowly, their lips met in another gentle kiss. Rika now wrapped her arms around Takato's neck, holding them together, not wanting this heavenly moment to end. 

Then, Rika let go of the kiss, as well as Takato. She looked up at him with worried eyes. " Do you have to go?" she asked. 

" Your parents will be worried." " No, I don't have to leave you." Takato assured. " My parents went out of town two days ago. They won't return until Tuesday." Takato then looked deeply into Rika's eyes, and said, " So, if you want, I could stay with you tonight." Rika then made the biggest, let alone truest smile she had made in her life. " That would mean everything to me." She answered. 

Then, Takato gently picked Rika up, and sat her on his lap. She sighed, as she laid her head on his shoulder, and taking Takato's hand in hers. And so, for the rest of the night, they sat there, hand in hand, heart in heart. And, unseen by the two, in a tree above them, a familiar, large fox smiled, as a tear ran down her face as well.

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In this world, many are treated badly, to the point their hearts basically turn to stone. It is up to us, the good men and women of society, to help soften these people's hearts, and give them the happiness they deserve.

So says the word of

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Destiny's Vision


End file.
